Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Pallone said he thought Christie's Sandy ad campaign 'smelled', called for investigation

Pallone says Chris Christie's Hurricane Sandy ad campaign 'smelled'U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone has asked federal officials to look into the state's decision to use Hurricane Sandy aid for a 'Stronger than the Storm' advertising campaign that featured Gov. Chris Christie's family. The firm chosen submitted a bid that was $2.2 million more expensive than another company that had no plans to put the governor in the ads. Pallone said that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will investigate the use of $25 million of federal Sandy aid funds because of the marketing campaign. (Video by Andre Malok/The Star-Ledger)

The television spots were meant to draw tourist back to the storm-battered Jersey Shore – a worthy cause, Pallone said. But what’s fishy, he said, is that the firm chosen by the state to put together tourism advertisements — the politically-connected MWW — submitted a bid that was $2.2 million more expensive than another company that had no plans to put the governor in the ads.

“This money could have been used as an alternative to help my constituents — in their homes, in their business – recover,” Pallone (D-6th Dist.) said after an even in Woodbridge. “And even today we have a lot of people in my district and throughout the state who have not received funds to restore their homes.”

The congressman revealed today that the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will investigate the use of $25 million of federal Sandy aid funds because of the marketing campaign. Pallone first wrote to the inspector general in August inquiring about whether it was proper for the ads to feature the governor.

“I think it was inappropriate. I really do,” Pallone said today. “This was the middle of an election campaign. We’ve got all kinds of celebrities in New Jersey – Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi. What do we need to use the governor’s family for?”

Pallone dismissed the assertions of a Christie spokesman that the announcement about the inquiry was “conveniently-timed,” an apparent reference to the revelations that one of the governor’s top aides was involved in a conspiracy to close lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge for what appears to have been political purposes. The congressman said he was informed of the audit in recent days and said there was “no correlation” between the two subjects.

"The decision to include the governor was arrived at after the contract was awarded, based on timing, availability, and federal expenditure rules. Assertions to the contrary are simple incorrect. The IG's audit will also show that MWW's final proposal came in at $22.255 million, while the runner-up's proposal was $23.725 million. That means MWW came in at the lower overall bid by $1.47 million and offered the lowest hourly rates of all bidders," said William P. Murray, executive vice president for public affairs at the East Rutherford firm.

But Pallone did say there was something broader to take away from the bridge scandal, and the use of the governor’s family in the marketing campaign.

“I’ve been very critical of what happened with the George Washington Bridge because I think it was part of a approach, if you will, within the Christie administration, which encourages this type of behavior,” he said. “With the bullying atmosphere, with the atmosphere of the threats, I don’t think there was any question there’s a take-no-prisoners philosophy.

"I think his aid campaign was another way of trying to promote him as effectively as possible for his reelection.”